Monday, October 29, 2007
Donal Hickey on the consequences of energy consumption.
WITH the approach of winter, it’s the time for big open fires as can be evidenced from the extra smoke coming from chimneys all over the country these evenings.
The fireplace has always been the focal point of Irish homes, despite central heating, solar power and other forms of energy used for heating. We still love to sit around blazing coal, turf, or wood fires and there’s no doubting the sense of homeliness these bring.
The Irish home without an open fireplace is still a rarity, but people are being urged to change to woodstoves which, we’re told, use far less energy and produce more heat.
For instance, a modern woodstove is said to be able to convert 80% of the energy content of wood into heat, compared with the usual open fireplace, which is only 25% to 30% efficient. In other words, about three-quarters of the heat generated in the standard, open fireplace goes up the chimney.
In the past 20 years, we’ve seen huge growth in forestry, with tens of thousands of hectares of poor quality — and some not so poor quality — land being planted. More than 10% of Ireland’s land area is covered by trees, representing a realistic source of fuel for the growing bioenergy market.
According to Teagasc’s head of forestry, Nuala Ní Fhlatharta, there are 620,000 hectares of forestry in Ireland and the emerging wood energy market is providing an important outlet for thinnings from these forests.
While replacing imported fossils fuels, such as oil and coal, the use of wood chip, wood pellet and log burners and boilers is providing a chance to add value to locally produced raw material from farm forests, she says.
Wood pellets for stoves are usually made from compressed sawdust and wood shavings and look a bit like animal food. Their low moisture content also reduces the cost of fuel transportation since they contain less water.
Pellets can be bought for about €165 per tonne and the delivery is very similar to one of home heating oil, with a lorry driver blowing pellets into the storage space and a suction pump taking away the dust.
Research by Teagasc found that 1,000 litres of heating oil is equal to 2.5 tonnes of dried pellets and a hectare of forest thinnings can heat a house for more than a year.
It is estimated that the typical family can save up to a third on their energy bills. And, while we hear a great deal from high-powered people about global issues, people can make savings through practical, simple changes in homes and workplaces.
A booklet issued by the BioPower Group says: "Up to 30% of the energy consumed in Irish homes is wasted. Within security of supply and fluctuating prices, energy is now a commodity that we can no longer afford to waste and misuse."
Coal, oil and natural gas will continue to supply most energy through the first half of the century, authorities believe, but the search for alternative energy sources is the one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century.
Energy use is responsible for two-thirds of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions and our homes account for a quarter of all energy used in the country.
With the economic boom and more mod-cons in houses, Irish houses are now using 40% more electricity than in 1990. At the same time, renewable energy accounts for only about 3% of Ireland’s energy supply.
In America, oil production peaked about 1970. Experts believe a global peak in oil production will occur about 2010, while some optimistic authorities believe the peak will be reached during the 2020s or 2030s.
Today, we consume about four times as much oil as we discover. We know that supplies are limited and running out — unless some significant sources are found, under the seabed for example.
If the optimistic predictions are correct, there’s still time to develop alternative energy sources to "soften" the crash landing of oil depletion and resulting price increases in fossil fuels.
Writing in Bio Power Energy Savings, Tony Dineen points out that Ireland is the seventh most oil-dependent nation in the world and, as such, we stand to be severely affected by any future oil crisis or shortfall.
"Ireland needs to begin to take responsibility for both our energy consumption and production and follow the lead of countries such as Sweden who aim to be energy-dependent by 2020," he says.
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